Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software growth has been constantly increasing in recent years. 2020 alone saw an 18% increase in CRM usage across various industries. ([STELLAXIUS](https://stellaxius.com/knowledgecenter/news/the-crm-battlefield-salesforce-20-year-throne/)). With this continued growth, it is likely you are thinking about adding a CRM tool to your business. You're probably already aware of what a good CRM can do, but do you know how to get the most out of your CRM? Let's talk about integrations, CRMs' best companions.

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So, what is CRM Integration?**

CRM Integrations are automated actions that expand the functionality of your software, eliminating the need to toggle back and forth between systems. As defined by [HubSpot](https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/crm-integration), it is the seamless connectivity between your customer relationship management software and third-party applications. Simply meaning that you can combine your CRM with other essential tools you use daily such as email, calendar, social media, etc. Depending on which CRM software you’re using, the integrations can be endless.

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**Why is CRM Integration important?**

It allows you to access all of your workplace tools in one area. You'll be amazed to see how your workflow productivity and efficiency will increase. For example, integrations between multiple applications can help you save hours of time with standard tasks such as data entry. In addition to these benefits, integrations help data flow easily between departments, helping to keep people outside your department in the loop. All in all, integrating your CRM allows for a smoother and more enhanced way of working. 

**Examples of Key Integrations** 

Here are five examples of key integrations vital to any CRM:

**Email Integrations  
**As a salesperson, you probably rely on your email as your primary communication method. With CRM integration, you can seamlessly send tailored emails that are triggered by your workflow activities.

**Calendar Integrations** Stay in the know of all your meetings and calls with calendar integrations. Sync your personal and business calendars into one, as well as view your co-worker's calendars.

**Team Communication Integrations** Increase communication amongst your team by integrating instant chat software to ensure clear and effective communication between team members without ever having to leave your CRM.

**Accounting Integrations** Financial accounting integrations help you make more confident decisions by tracking ROI to your investments.

**Productivity Integrations  
**Increased productivity translates to higher profits. Syncing all of your company data and activities to your CRM  helps to manage one single workflow.

When choosing a CRM, integrations should be a priority to make your workflow simple. CRM integrations are designed to increase efficiency. So you can spend less time managing software and more time growing your business.

With over 3,000+ integrations, Outfield is sure to have what you're looking for. To learn more about our integrations, click below to register for the webinar.

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A discussion of all things related to CRM (customer relationship management) integration: What it is, why it's important, and examples of key integrations.

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Everything You Need To Know About CRM Integration

Webster defines gamification as the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation. While the word “gamification” is a 21st-century addition to the English lexicon, it’s concept is not new. Gamification can be applied to virtually all aspects of our existence. This includes situations that's we might not view as a game. An example is the popular game theory scenario of Prisoner’s Dilemma where two inmates are interrogated by law officers and given the choice of confession, reducing their individual prison sentence (at the expense of the other accomplice) or remaining silent (which potentially benefits both).

The theories behind gamification surpass various forms of study (e.g. economics, psychology, mathematics, history, etc.) However, for many of us, the first things that usually come to mind are board games and video games such as Chess and Pac-Man. Although, I do consider myself an enthusiast of gaming in these forms, I’m quite interested in how game mechanics can be leveraged to drive business strategies. More specifically, over the last few years I’ve focused my attention towards the application of gaming principles to sales execution. This is otherwise known as [Sales Gamification](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/what-is-sales-gamification).

Sales Gamification is the process of applying game mechanics to normal everyday sales tasks. The intention behind Sales Gamification is to alter sales reps’ behavior in a way that maximizes their productivity. For example, offering a steak dinner as a reward to the sales rep with the most referrals for the month.

Recently, myself and a few colleagues published a 50-Page White Paper On Sales Gamification. In preparation, we interviewed 100 sales directors across the United States on how they leveraged Sales Gamification into their sales execution strategy. Based on what we learned, we were able to present tips to sales managers who might be considering adding gamification to their sales ops.

The objective of the research was to know if the interviewees used game mechanics, how they used them, and what the results were. We learned many things throughout this process. However, there were three significant data points that you should be aware of if you’re unsure about incorporating gamification into your sales operations.

![DALL·E 2022-12-30 16.49.20 - Show a comic book sales person wearing a cape and holding a big #1 trophy ](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/DALL%C2%B7E%202022-12-30%2016.49.20%20-%20Show%20a%20comic%20book%20sales%20person%20wearing%20a%20cape%20and%20holding%20a%20big%20%231%20trophy%20.png)

#### 1\. **Sales Performance When Sales Gamification Was Applied**

According to our research, 90% of sales directors we surveyed said gamification had positive impacts on sales numbers and revenue. On the list of personality traits linked to highly productive sales professionals, you’ll find a need for accomplishment, a desire for recognition, along with an inherent competitive drive.

According to Steve Elliot, a Franchise Owner at Restoration 1 (Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 company):

_“I feel that encouraging staff to accept new technologies within any firm is difficult. Companies invest a substantial amount of effort and money in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system because it can be customized to match their individual needs. Thus, CRM is an essential sales tool for tracking new and current clients. Since a result, it is imperative that data is recorded properly and promptly into the CRM system, as this information will be utilized to make vital business choices inside the organization. By harnessing gamification concepts and applying them to human behavior, CRM Gamified has updated a traditional technique. The design of gamification eliminates current barriers that inhibit or delay employee adoption of new technologies. In other words, it encourages human conduct that will increase the amount and quality of consumer data.”_

[![Sales Gamification - Closers Banner](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/League-Play-02-1024x131.jpg)](http://www.closersapp.com)

#### **2\. The Impact Sales Gamification Has On Company Culture**

Gamification has a profound effect on team culture. Of those that responded to implementing a form of gamification into their sales execution strategy, 95% of sales managers said it had positively impacted the team culture and camaraderie within the organization.

In a U.S. economy that loses more than $500 billion every year due to workplace stress (American Psychological Association), company culture is more important than ever. Positive team culture is something that only you can define for your team, but it is something that can go beyond “having fun at work.”

Positive team culture is often represented by characteristics such as comradery, a growing communication between team members, lack of burnout, and the ability to continuously perform at a high level, regardless of the challenges ahead. Your team culture sets the tone for how your team works together, as well as how they manage hardships and accomplishments on their own.

#### **3\. The Group That Was Most Responsive To Game Mechanics**

Past experiences, age and motivational forces all contribute to the success of your applied gaming mechanics. In fact, our data showed that gamification was most successful with reps ranging from 21-35 years old. According to an [article](https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/the-millennial-workplace-of-future-is-almost-here-these-3-things-are-about-to-change-big-time.html) by Inc.com, Millennials will began to dominate the workforce by 2025.

We think this point is critically important to the future on how we will adopt and think about applications. Closer’s Coffee wrote a whole separate article titled [‘Gamifying the Next Generation of Sales Reps’](https://closers.outfieldapp.com/insights/gamifying-next-generation/).

#### **Conclusion** 

In 2014, a [Reuters study](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-millenials-study/millennials-highly-competitive-yearn-to-be-noticed-study-idUSKBN0EA1A420140530) gathered that about 50% of Millennials placed a high level of value to being noticed. Moreover, a third would hold competition as a catalyst for better results, improving work ethic, and increasing team collaboration.

If you haven’t considered applying sales gamification to your sales execution strategy, the time for you to do so is now. Shifts in technology, changes in workforce values, and the increased pressure to improve sales performance is demanding a new perspective in how to drive business sales forward. There are many ways to tie sales gamification to your execution strategy. Consider the emergence of the [Gaming CRM](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/what-is-a-gaming-crm).

As sales leaders, we have to be constantly thinking about how well we’re adapting to a new world of competition, which now includes the gaming economy.

If you would like to read our white paper A Complete Guide to Gamifying Sales Strategies click [here.](https://tryout.outfieldapp.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-gamify-your-sales-team)

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[Outfield](http://www.outfieldapp.com) is a performance based CRM company that specializes in leveraging game theory and behavioral psychology to drive CRM adoption, motivation, and overall productivity among sales organizations. With customers in over 50 countries, Outfield’s gaming CRM helps teams work simpler, smarter, and more effectively. Becoming the world’s most highly adopted CRM is their mission, and their vision is to accomplish this by creating a platform that is aligned with the values of the up and coming generation of sales people.

 Backed by research, here are 3 things everyone should know about Sales Gamification. We've interviewed 100 sales managers across the nation. 

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Sales Gamification: 3 Things We Learned From Interviewing 100 Sales Directors

CRM seems like the new buzzword for small and large companies. They advocate that it helps them capitalize on their most valuable assets, customer, and potential leads.

Well, it is a business software solution that helps companies track and nurture their relationships with prospects and customers. But companies have been managing customer relationships before the software existed, so why are they so excited to spend their money on a CRM? 

Gartner's Vice President, Joanne Correia, [noted](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014-02-12-gartner-says-crm-will-be-at-the-heart-of-digital-initiatives-for-years-to-come), "CRM will be at the heart of digital initiatives in the coming years. This is one technology area that will get funding because digital business is critical for companies to remain competitive."

No worries, no one here will twist your arm and make you jump on the digital bandwagon. There are tons of articles on the importance of a CRM, but we wanted to provide you with a fresh perspective for you to weigh the pros and the cons. Here are seven reasons you should be against getting a CRM.

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### **Business growth should be slow and steady.**

If you are okay with staying the same size, that's cool, but for those who want steady business growth, utilizing a CRM would benefit you in ways you couldn't even imagine. CRMs help your business remain competitive by automating and integrating processes like email, accounting, data organization, and more. It seems like it would make the most sense for you to use a CRM in your business strategy if you would like to expand your ROI.

### Not having Pipeline Visibility isn't a deal-breaker

It's truly not a deal-breaker, but who doesn't like being able to see the future? Well, kind of, anyway. Having a clear vision of the pipeline allows you and your business to see a possible uptick in leads and chances that you all will have at new conversions, which can save you time and money. Keeping you more informed on your current and future productivity, how products and services are performing, and assist in lead generation and conversions.

### Tracking Conversions is Overrated

Do you like conversions? I think we all do! Managing the contact information of those who are interested in your business is critical. Keeping consumers educated and engaged is one of the best ways to maintain your number of conversions and continue to grow them. Seeing your potential consumers' habits, behaviors, and interests is integral to converting them from simple leads to repeat customers. Without a CRM, you are likely to not keep up with potential consumer contact information and lose out on tons of revenue.

### Automations are irrelevant

Time is money, and money is time. Saving both of those is crucial for almost any business. If you prefer to waste a lot of those, you can stop reading, but if not, we're here to inform you that you need automation for your business. Using a CRM will speed up sending follow-up messages, organizing data, and email campaigns. These are just a few of the ways that automation can help you. If you're interested to find out more, check out this [post](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/crm-integration) for more details. 

### Lack of Communication is not an issue. 

Communication is key in life and business. Reaching out to leads and customers is a must to grow business, and having that process integrated into one platform will only make it easier for you to succeed. People forget things all the time, so dropping the ball on communication is something most businesses cannot afford to do. 

If you expect your business to grow, you do not want your team to spend unnecessary time getting the most recent and accurate information on their leads. Implementing a CRM will help your team connect with their coworkers and get timely updates and reminders on essential daily tasks.

### Being Data Driven is just not your thing.

Analytics! Fun for some and not so much for others; it can look like a blur of raw data if you don't know what you're looking at. It's so necessary, though! Outfield does its best to provide an understandable, user-friendly look at your analytics. This CRM analyzes market trends and the behavior of those you're selling and want to sell to. With this data in hand, you can make decisions based on how your potential and current customers behave and what steps you should take to market to them.

### You enjoy having unmotivated and underperforming reps.

Having unmotivated reps can lead to poor performance. A CRM can be the sale coaching software you need to turn your low-performing sales reps into selling machines. This feature doesn't come with all CRMs. You ensure you are choosing a performance-based CRM. One that will be intelligent and intuitive enough to instill friendly competition and intrinsic motivator to progress them to their goals. 

Okay, okay, okay…I think you get the point. Well, at least I hope you know going without a CRM is probably the worst idea ever. Your need for a CRM is, without a doubt, based on your ability to effectively manage your leads and customers with relevant information at the right time. 

CRM usage can increase productivity and revenue, but if yours isn't working for you or your team simply hates the idea of one, then it is time for you to consider a performance-based CRM.

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### A PERFORMANCE-BASED CRM?

YES! [Outfield's](https://outfieldapp.com) performance-based CRM motivates your team to perform at their best and progress them beyond industry standards. 

This CRM offers a suite of features to benefit your entire company. In addition to performance boosters, you can enjoy features such as route planners, customizable forms, territory mapping, inventory and order management, live chat, 3000+ integrations, and more, all on a gamified platform.

Ready to gamify your team? Check out {{cta('b3100284-5afd-4d0d-9cb8-475522f7a567')}}, TODAY.

Discusses seven reasons businesses choose to have CRM solutions to capitalize on their most valuable assets, customer, and potential leads. 

CRM Solutions

Everything You Need To Know About CRM Integration

Sales Gamification: 3 Things We Learned From Interviewing 100 Sales Directors

7 Reasons You Don’t Really Need A CRM